Education Bridge (Spring 2025)

Project Background

Education Bridge aims to create flourishing South Sudanese communities through holistic education and conflict transformation by educating a generation of peacemakers and transformational leaders to address the perpetual cycle of poverty and violence in South Sudan. Education Bridge drives this change through a unique and holistic approach to secondary education that merges peacebuilding curriculum, leadership development and academic excellence that is implemented through our schools - Greenbelt Academies.  Led by South Sudanese Notre Dame graduate Majak Anyieth ’17, the Greenbelt Academy currently serves over 1,200 students in grades 9-12 at two schools in the capital, Juba (Central Equatoria State), and in Bor (Jonglei State). These two high-performing secondary schools are ranked among the highest in the country. In addition to a desire to add more secondary schools across the country, Education Bridge has launched a teacher training network for its alumni as a pathway into primary school teaching. 

Education Bridge has worked with Notre Dame DAT teams over multiple semesters on projects related to developing a peacebuilding curriculum, enhancing opportunities for girls, contributing to organizational sustainability, and developing international partnerships. They are now considering the possibility of expanding schools and developing criteria for doing so.

Definition of Opportunity

Education Bridge wants to begin exploring a strategic expansion, potentially, to an additional state in South Sudan. This research project will assess the feasibility of expansion by conducting a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of three potential locations in South Sudan: Lakes State, Upper Nile State, and Western Equatoria State.

This project builds on previous work by a Notre Dame Development Advisory Team from Fall 2023, which explored Education Bridge’s organizational sustainability and international partnerships. The project proposes to:

• Identify key factors for successful expansion, including demand, infrastructure, security, teacher availability, and financial viability.

• Conduct a comparative SWOT analysis of the three target states to evaluate their suitability for a new Greenbelt Academy.

• Develop criteria and recommendations for prioritizing locations for future expansion.

Definition of Success

Success for this project means delivering a comprehensive SWOT analysis of the three target states, providing Education Bridge with a clear assessment of opportunities and challenges for expansion. The research will also establish a set of recommended criteria to guide strategic decision-making on where and how to grow the school network. Additionally, the project may include case studies on successful education expansion models in South Sudan or neighboring countries, offering valuable insights and best practices to inform Education Bridge’s approach.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

Partners In Health & PIH Engage (Spring 2025)

Project Background

Partners In Health (PIH) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare to marginalized communities, addressing social determinants of health, and advocating for health equity. PIH Engage is its grassroots advocacy and fundraising network, mobilizing volunteers to support PIH’s mission through community organizing, education, and policy change efforts.  

PIH is a member of the EndTB campaign to combat tuberculosis (TB) through advocacy, treatment expansion, and awareness-building. As momentum builds, engaging incoming members of US Congress will be essential for advancing key policy initiatives, including the EndTB Act, the Paul Farmer Memorial Resolution (PMFR), and the Community Health Worker Access Act (CHWAA).

Definition of Opportunity

A Notre Dame student team will research and identify newly elected members of Congress with potential interest in TB advocacy, global health, and partnerships with institutions such as the NIH, CDC, USAID, and the Global Fund. John Green’s forthcoming book Tuberculosis is Everything and his advocacy, along with efforts from young activists (Nerdfighters), are increasing interest in TB activism, particularly among young people. His visit to Notre Dame on February 5, 2025, presents a strategic opportunity to expand engagement and advocacy efforts in legislative circles.

Definition of Success

• A detailed list of incoming members of Congress with relevant health and global development interests, including linkages with organizations such as NIH, CDC, Global Fund, and USAID.

• Develop bios and background information for use during PIH Engage’s Hill Day on April 9, 2025 equipping advocates with key details for meetings on Capitol Hill.

• A comprehensive Champion Scale assessment of targeted MoCs, with tailored engagement strategies to advance their commitment.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

U.S. Department of State (Spring 2025)

Project Background

The University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs is collaborating with the U.S. Department of State on an initiative focused on global conflict prevention research. As part of the Academic Centers of Conflict Anticipation and Prevention (ACCAP) partnership, the Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) is engaging universities to provide supplemental research, analysis, and data to enhance its ability to anticipate, prevent, and respond to global conflict. 

The CSO leads the formulation and implementation of conflict prevention and stabilization strategies, policies, and programs for the State Department. This partnership will provide undergraduate and graduate students at the Keough School with access to key State Department research tools, including its Instability Monitoring and Analysis Platform, which officials use to monitor conflict risks and implement evidence-based policies.

Definition of Opportunity

The student team will conduct research on illicit gold mining and its implications for violent extremism and broader instability dynamics in Coastal West Africa (CWA) focusing on Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Togo. The project will explore the relationships between illicit mining activities, financial flows, and governance challenges to inform future policy interventions. The student research will fill a critical knowledge gap for the Africa team within CSO, providing evidence-based analysis to support future Global Fragility Act (GFA) programming in the State Department. This project aligns with the broader mission of conflict prevention by identifying strategies to mitigate instability and strengthen governance structures.

Definition of Success

The team will explore the implications of illicit gold mining on violent extremism and broader instability dynamics in 1-2 countries in Coastal West African countries ((Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Togo). The final product should help address the following questions: What can legal mining operations do to promote formalization of these activities?  What local and national governments do to promote formal, legal employment and ensure gold mining revenues benefit citizens?

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

The Jumbam Family Foundation (Spring 2025)

Project Background

The Jumbam Family Foundation (JFF) is a Cameroon-based non-governmental organization that aims to contribute to peacebuilding in Cameroon and support communities affected by the Anglophone crisis, primarily through women and youth empowerment, education, and healthcare. Co-founded by Desmond Jumbam (MSGH ‘16, MBA ‘25) and his mother, Seh Rebecca Jumbam, in 2020, JFF emerged out of a personal tragedy and their determination to transform it into a lasting impact and restore hope for victims of the crisis. The organization focuses on three core areas: women empowerment, as well as providing education and healthcare services to refugees and internally displaced people from Anglophone regions of Cameroon.

Definition of Opportunity

One of the most devastating impacts of the Anglophone crisis is the toll that it poses on women. In 2020 JFF launched a project focused on empowering widows who had lost their livelihoods as a result of the crisis. The program provides grief counseling, psychosocial support, and opportunities for widows to regain their livelihoods, including small business support and educational opportunities. The program has thus far supported 49 women to regain their livelihoods. Most women have started sustainable businesses, including a small poultry and pig farm, rearing and selling of goats, clothing retail and the production and sale of palm oil. The program has been in hiatus for the past year and a half while JFF established its Ngek C. Constantine Scholarship Program. In 2025, JFF plans to relaunch the women’s support program as the “Hope and Renewal Initiative.”

Definition of Success

JFF hopes to gain a deeper understanding of key factors that have led to the success of previous participants, i.e., bright spots, and practical recommendations for improving the next iteration of the widow’s project based on these findings. Ultimately, our goal is to generate evidence based on bright spots and comparative analysis to strengthen project relaunch. 

• Identify Success Stories: Highlight individual and collective success stories that demonstrate the effectiveness of the program's strategies and interventions. This will be done via remote interviews with previous participants and staff.     

• Find Bright Spots: Identify the project's most successful elements that can be scaled or replicated in future cohorts.

• Analyze Challenges: Identify and analyze the challenges faced by the participants and the project team, providing insights into areas needing improvement. 

• Recommend Enhancements: Provide actionable recommendations for enhancing the program based on the lessons learned and identified bright spots. Develop strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability and scalability of the project.

• Document Findings: Create comprehensive documentation of the findings, including case studies, data analysis, and strategic recommendations.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

Wellness TA (Spring 2025)

Project Background

Effective teamwork is a fundamental skill for tackling complex global challenges, yet many students and professionals struggle to collaborate productively. The forthcoming book, Learning to Team Up: Unleashing the Transformative Power of Collaboration in the Classroom, explores the mindsets and skillsets essential for successful team-based learning, particularly in higher education. It emphasizes reflective practice, psychological safety, belonging, and negotiation as critical elements of teamwork—principles that are equally vital in professional environments such as international development, where cross-disciplinary collaboration, problem-solving, and negotiation are key to driving sustainable impact.

Definition of Opportunity

This project invites a Notre Dame student team to create a series of short, engaging instructional videos that translate the book’s key lessons into accessible, practical, and easily implementable tools for educators and students. These videos will serve as learning resources to support more effective team-based learning in classrooms and professional settings.

A student team will develop high-quality, engaging video content that illustrates core concepts from the book, making them more accessible, actionable, and visually compelling. These instructional videos will support educators in implementing team-based learning strategies, reinforcing the book’s goal of equipping students with collaborative skills for both academic and professional success. The project will be supported by ND Studios and will include collaboration with Wellness TA for video production. Students will gain hands-on experience in educational content creation, storytelling, and media production, while contributing to a resource that enhances teamwork education globally.

Definition of Success

Success means gaining a clear understanding of the existing landscape, identifying what works and where gaps remain in available video content related to teamwork skills. It includes producing engaging, student-created instructional videos that bring the book’s themes to life—that ultimately will help equip instructors with practical tools and inspire them to implement its recommendations. Through this process, students will not only deepen their understanding of team-based learning but also enhance their storytelling and digital media skills, translating theory into real-world, impactful applications.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

Education Bridge (Fall 2023)

Project Background

Education Bridge seeks to create flourishing South Sudanese communities through holistic education and conflict transformation. As part of this mission, Education Bridge opened its first school, Greenbelt Academy Bor, in South Sudan in February 2017. Led by South Sudanese Notre Dame graduate Majak Anyieth ’17 (who was a student in this International Development in Practice class), Greenbelt Academy Bor High School has grades 9-12, and in a very short time, has become one of the strongest academic schools in South Sudan. Last year, Education Bridge opened its second school, Greenbelt Academy Juba, in the capital of South Sudan. Greenbelt Academies seek to provide quality secondary education as well as to develop a generation of South Sudanese who are not only well prepared academically, but who also see themselves as peacemakers and transformational leaders.

Education Bridge aspires to achieve its mission by building a network of secondary schools that provide access to quality secondary education, innovative peace education, and transformative leadership development. The organization plans to build a network of 10 secondary schools across the country. Their two schools currently serve more than 750 students in grades 9-12. In 2021, Greenbelt Academy in Bor ranked as the top school in South Sudan based on national standardized exams.

Definition of Opportunity

As we continue expanding our school network, we want to ensure that we do not lose or compromise what makes us unique and successful as a school network. We ask the DAT team to explore similar networks (e.g., charter schools and international school networks in other parts of the world) and to provide recommendations on how the schools have been able to scale with quality. More specifically, we hope the team will explore what should be key elements to evaluate before expanding our school network.

Definition of Success

The team’s work should provide targets on some of these aspects to be assessed as indicators of readiness for engaging in an expansion strategy.

Based on experiences of other school networks, provide actionable recommendations that address concrete institutional, instructional and operational criteria that Education Bridge should assess before further expansion. We are also interested in how Education Bridge can use data from their own experiences to accelerate the growth and quality of their programs, and inform the criteria around expansion.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

Education Bridge Fall 2023 by Joseph Drey on Scribd

Domingo Savio (Fall 2023)

Project Background

Domingo Savio was founded in 1979 by Olga Diaz as a residential orphanage or “hogar” for children living in Santiago, Chile. Today, Nuestro Club Domingo Savio continues to work with children and their families living in challenging situations through an “after-school” and other enrichment programs.

Olga continues to lead the work of Nuestro Club Domingo Savio with creativity and resourcefulness, as she has done for more than 40 years. Olga and her colleagues remain committed to expanding opportunities for the school-age children who actively participate in Domingo Savio’s educational and enrichment programs, as well as with adult family members and elderly people who often live in isolation in the local community. Mi Club is supported entirely by donations. Increasingly, most "in kind" contributions for food, clothing, and school supplies are local, as are an increasing percentage of monetary donations. They also rely on local interns and international volunteers to lead “talleres” (workshops) for the children after school. Steve Reifenberg lived and worked at Domingo Savio from 1982-1984 and wrote a book about the experiences called “Santiago’s Children: What I Learned about Life at an Orphanage in Chile.” He has remained involved with Domingo Savio, and is chair of the board.

Definition of Opportunity

The primary objective of this project is to develop a way of telling the story of Domingo Savio and its impact on children and their communities, so Domingo Savio is able to better generate support and attract international volunteers. This includes recording the stories of former participants in the programs of Domingo Savio and understanding how the program impacted their lives. The team will use these stories to help update the website and incorporate this storytelling into their design as well as develop more concrete information/expectations and a formal application process for international volunteers.

Definition of Success

We aspire that this DAT project will generate impactful narrative stories of Domingo Savio’s work, with concrete examples of impact and personal testimonies. As a result, Domingo Savio would have an engaging and updated website that would draw in more donations and support. The site would also have a volunteer application process that both encourages more volunteers to come and allows Domingo Savio to better filter prospective volunteers before arrival. They will have a portfolio of testimonies and stories from members of the new program for elderly people experiencing solitude.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

University of Notre Dame Kaneb Center (Fall 2023)

Enhancing Student Wellbeing at Notre Dame In the Classroom

Partner Background

Over the past two years, International Development in Practice (IDP) students have partnered with the University of Notre Dame Wellness Center and the Office of Student Affairs to explore ways to promote flourishing among Notre Dame students. Through this partnership, students in the class both mapped resources available on campus to promote student flourishing, as well as conducted over one-hundred interviews of students, faculty, and staff regarding best practices of teachers for promoting flourishing and wellbeing in the classroom. Further, these IDP students have hosted brainstorming sessions with faculty and students to share, workshop, and ideate on ideas for improving student wellbeing linked to what is happening in the classroom.

This semester, the Wellness project will expand this partnership to include Notre Dame’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence. The Kaneb Center was established in 1996 under the leadership of President Edward Malloy and Provost Nathan Hatch with the support of John Kaneb. The Center, composed of educational developers, learning researchers, and program managers, provides research-based services, programs, and resources that support teaching excellence and reflective practice at Notre Dame.

Main offerings or Kaneb include:

Offering workshops and collaborative consultations that explore a variety of pedagogical approaches with an emphasis on the creation and implementation of engaged, student-centered learning experiences.

Supporting scholarly inquiry to improve teaching and learning.

Maintaining a lending library of resources on topics including course design, classroom strategies, assessment design, student feedback, and academic career development.

 

Definition of Opportunity

Given the stresses and challenges to mental health that exist for college students and the impacts of the pandemic, it is evident that students can benefit from wellness resources more than ever. The University offers a variety of resources to students, but they are spread across different schools, offices, and initiatives.  In the spring 2022, a team of students mapped resources (programs, initiatives, classes, support groups, etc) on campus that help promote wellness and student flourishing.   In the fall 2022, a student team explored strategies and approaches that Keough School of Global Affairs (and other) faculty used in the classroom to promote student flourishing. The team held a workshop with faculty to exchange ideas and share best practices. 

Definition of Success

Through this project, we hope to accomplish the following:

• Increased awareness of practices teachers can use to improve student wellbeing

• Creation of easy to understand content / data that is compelling to faculty

• Understanding barriers and challenges of incorporating these ideas for faculty and students

• Bring together faculty in a welcoming space to share some of these ideas, prototype, and put these ideas into practice

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

Compañeros en Salud (Fall 2023)

Project Background

Partners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of illness, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change.

The organization originally developed as a community health project in Haiti in the 1980s and has since expanded to several countries around the world, including Mexico. Since 2011, Compañeros En Salud (CES), Partners In Health in Mexico, has operated as a non-governmental organization that collaborates with the local Ministry of Health to strengthen healthcare delivery. Over the last decade, CES has developed and implemented numerous healthcare delivery innovations with remarkable outcomes.

Definition of Opportunity

The primary objective of this project is to create a comprehensive inventory of healthcare delivery innovations implemented by CES in Mexico. The inventory will not only highlight CES's achievements but also provide a global context by identifying and comparing similar innovations worldwide. To achieve this, the project will involve a meticulous scope review, thorough publication analysis, interviews with knowledgeable CES personnel, and contextualization with global examples.

Definition of Success

Success for this project entails producing a comprehensive report that showcases CES’ healthcare delivery innovations in an organized manner. The report will vividly describe each healthcare innovation, outlining its key implementation elements, highlighting the significant outcomes achieved, and offering insightful global comparisons. The document will be a valuable resource that not only demonstrates CES's contributions to healthcare delivery but also serves as a source of inspiration and learning for donors, local organizations, and government officials in Mexico. This success will be measured by the report's ability to effectively communicate CES's innovative approaches, engage stakeholders, and foster meaningful collaborations toward advancing healthcare practices and outcomes within Mexico's healthcare landscape.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

CES Dat Final Fall 2023 by Joseph Drey on Scribd

The Vines (Fall 2023)

Partner Background

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for positive change in Tunuyan, a city in the Western province of Mendoza, Argentina. Our mission is to promote the capacity of our community through sustainable initiatives that improve food security, strengthen socioeconomic independence, and contribute to the holistic wellbeing of each child in our community. As the philanthropic arm of The Vines, an Argentine farming, winemaking and hospitality company (vinesofmendoza.com, vinesresortandspa.com) with deep international connections, the Foundation is leveraging its resources to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the local community. Most importantly, we are seeking to increase capacity and participation through engaging community members and organizations, local and national businesses, and the municipal government to address complex challenges. 

 

Definition of Opportunity

Help the Vines Foundation research best practices and develop a general plan for a new vocational school to promote skills for community members and connect them with local economic opportunities.The Uco Valley is witnessing exponential growth in the tourism industry. Despite this, there is a shortage of workers for hotels, wineries and restaurants, and at the same time there are many in our community who don't have the necessary skills to get good jobs in the hospitality industry.

The Foundation is exploring the creation of a school focused on providing high-quality hospitality training to members of the local community — helping build the necessary skills and experience to secure good jobs in local hotels and restaurants, including The Vines. The programs would be designed to provide comprehensive training in various aspects of hospitality, including customer service, food preparation, housekeeping, and management. We will provide hands-on training, internships, guidance, and mentorship to ensure that community members gain mindsets and practical skills that can get them good jobs.

For the Uco Valley community, these programs provide an avenue for economic growth by producing a skilled workforce that can attract and sustain businesses in the hospitality industry. For graduates of these programs there will be a path to financial stability and career advancement. Additionally, we hope our programs can provide opportunities for personal growth and development, as participants gain valuable life skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.

Vision of Success

Through working with the Fall 2023 DAT, we hope to gain insight and devise these final deliverables:

Based on the community assessment, define the overall market and potential for a hospitality vocational school. List the risks, opportunities and potential corporate partners. Share the information on the skills that are most in demand in the area, and best ways to build those skills in the local community.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverables

The Vines Fall 2023 Deliverable by Joseph Drey on Scribd

University of San Martín De Porres Dentistry

Bright Spots: Children’s Health and Cavity Prevention

Partner Background

The Department of Pediatric Dentistry of the University San Martín de Porres has been one of the leading Latin American research institutions in promoting children’s dental health and preventing early childhood caries (or cavities). It participated in the creation of the Research Observatory for Dental Cavities of the Latin American Region and developed projects for the International Association of Dental Research, the World Health Organization, the World Dental Federation, and the Peruvian Association for Babies. The head of the Department is a member of the Peruvian Ministry of Health.

 

Definition of Opportunity

Early childhood caries (ECC) is defined as any caries experience involving primary dentition in children under 72 months. Although it is preventable, it is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in early childhood, a risk factor for malnutrition, and a factor limiting the growth, development, and quality of life of children with untreated lesions. Even though the main risk factors in the development of ECC are well-known and categorized as microbiological, dietary, and environmental, its worldwide prevalence (48%) has not significantly changed since the ‘90s. There is ample literature on how the disease develops, reaching up to 90% of 5-year-olds from low-income families in Peru, but little is known about the mindset of the 10% disease-free population.

 How do these families implement preventive habits despite sharing the same constraints and barriers as others?

 This project focuses on understanding these positive deviants, known as bright spots, to identify the best practices and behaviors of that community and help design and develop activities that can engage the target population for long-lasting preventive results. This approach has been proved valuable in fighting situations such as childhood malnutrition in Vietnam and reducing hospital infections in the U.S.

Definition of Success

The insights generated by this project have the possibility to change early childhood outcomes not only in Lima but anywhere the created methodology is applied. The study offers an innovative approach to help communities identify and implement easily accessible solutions for their children’s oral health.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

Bright Spots Presentation (English Version) - Fall 2023 by Joseph Drey on Scribd

The Vines (Spring 2023)

Building capacity and sustainable development in Mendoza, Argentina

Partner Background

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for positive change in Tunuyan, a city in the Western province of Mendoza, Argentina. Our mission is to promote the capacity of our community through sustainable initiatives that improve food security, strengthen socioeconomic independence, and contribute to the holistic wellbeing of each child in our community. As the philanthropic arm of The Vines, an Argentine farming, winemaking and hospitality company (vinesofmendoza.com, vinesresortandspa.com) with deep international connections, the Foundation is leveraging its resources to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the local community. Most importantly, we are seeking to increase capacity and participation through engaging community members and organizations, local and national businesses, and the municipal government to address complex challenges. 

 

Definition of Opportunity

We seek to communicate through our work the importance of accompaniment and co-creation, in which we see our community members as partners who are the first and best teachers capable of enacting change and creating opportunities for their families and neighborhoods. 

For the Spring of 2023, The Vines Foundation is partnered with the University of Notre Dame Development Advisory Teams (DAT) to explore strategies for turning community kitchens (comedores) into community spaces that become hubs where the community can find connection, take advantage of recreational and educational activities, seek assistance, and take ownership of the comedor’s direction. 

During 2023, we aim to:

• Work with comedor leaders to create and implement workshops on girls’ and women’s empowerment, education, nutrition, and mental health. Embed strategies for encouraging parents’ participation in the workshops and in the comedor more generally.

• Outline a program of hands-on volunteer experiences and workshops for employees and vineyard owners to connect with the work of The Vines Foundation.

• Identify and provide wellness, recreational, and educational resources and opportunities for The Vines employees, from seasonal laborers to year-round staff, that they identify as being beneficial to their wellbeing.

Definition of Success

Through working with a Spring 2023 DAT, we hope to generate interest, excitement and actions in support of The Vines Foundation.  We define success as effectively and sustainably increasing community participation and receiving positive feedback from community members on the programs and opportunities that we work with various stakeholders and community leaders to provide.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

Final Deliverable Vines F23 by Joseph Drey on Scribd

University of Notre Dame McDonald Center for Student Well-Being & Division of Student Affairs (Spring 2023)

Enhancing Student Wellbeing at Notre Dame

Partner Background

The McDonald Center for Student Well-Being strategically assesses the environment and creates structures for wellness enhancement and risk reduction for Notre Dame students. Using evidence-based practices and collaborating with a range of campus partners, “McWell”  works closely with the Division of Student Affairs to provide initiatives, services, and resources that support the eight dimensions of student well-being.

 

Definition of Opportunity

Given the stresses and challenges to mental health that exist for college students and the impacts of the pandemic, it is evident that students can benefit from wellness resources more than ever. The University offers a variety of resources to students, but they are spread across different schools, offices, and initiatives.  In the spring 2022, a team of students mapped resources (programs, initiatives, classes, support groups, etc) on campus that help promote wellness and student flourishing.   In the fall 2022, a student team explored strategies and approaches that Keough School of Global Affairs (and other) faculty used in the classroom to promote student flourishing. The team held a workshop with faculty to exchange ideas and share best practices. 

Definition of Success

A successful project would, in consultation with the two ND liaisons, build on work of past DAT projects in ways that help promote student flourishing at Notre Dame.  This might be developing a guide for faculty on best practices, additional workshops and/or modalities for faculty to engage on these issues. 

Meet the Team

Spring 2023 ND Wellness DAT Presentation by Joseph Drey on Scribd

Enseña Chile (Spring 2023)

Enhancing Leadership Development in Chilean Schools

Partner Background

The non-profit educational organization, Enseña Chile is promoting a movement to transform opportunities for public school students in Chile. Inspired by Teach for America in the US, Enseña Chile works to develop educational leaders committed to improving access to excellent educational opportunities for students regardless of socio-economic circumstances. Founded in Santiago in 2007 by Enseña Chile CEO Tomas Recart, the organization works to provide quality education for high school students by bringing outstanding university graduates with leadership skills into under-resourced schools. Through its Colegios que Aprenden (CQA) consulting unit, Enseña Chile is working to produce a system-wide impact on issues of educational quality, leadership, and equity.

 

Definition of Opportunity

Over the past ten years, Enseña Chile has partnered with Notre Dame’s International Development in Practice class and the i-Lab Master of Global Affairs program to evaluate best practices and key aspects of supporting educational leaders in Chile. The 2022 i-Lab project examined the role that school leadership plays, and focuses on the key role of principals for enhancing outcomes for students.  In the process, the i-Lab team developed a leadership development tool for principals. This DAT project aspires to explore models that can help disseminate and actively use the tool to promote activities that can support the sharing of good school leadership practices in Chile.  It is critical to define how the tool can be used within the framework of Enseña Chile CQA’s coaching sessions, and more generally to promote leadership and teacher development. 

Definition of Success

Enseña Chile seeks to implement the findings from the i-Lab team report, and find the most effective way principals might use the tool which focuses on three overarching themes: Build Trust, Be Coherent, and Develop a Learning Culture.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

Ensena Chile Presentation F23 by Joseph Drey on Scribd

Compañeros en Salud (Fall 2022)

Project Background

Partners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of illness, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change.

The organization originally developed as a community health project in Haiti and has since expanded to several countries around the world, including Mexico. Since 2011, Compañeros En Salud (CES), Partners In Health in Mexico, has operated as a non-governmental organization that collaborates with the local Ministry of Health to strengthen healthcare delivery. To achieve comprehensive healthcare delivery, CES provides follow-up care for non-communicable diseases and maternal health patients with community health workers, known locally as Acompañantes.

Definition of Opportunity

Acompañantes care for members of their own community who have complex medical and social situations; the impact of their work on their own mental health – both its emotional burden and its therapeutic role – was highlighted in a CES quality improvement project to inform the creation of a comprehensive mental health pathway to care for the acompañantes. Programmatic changes suggestions done by current Acompañantes are being taken into consideration to allow wellness and professional growth opportunities for the whole team.

The Acompañantes program coordinators at CES are looking to develop a curricula through the fall of 2022 to later be implemented in 2023 - 2024 with the Acompañantes and Acompañantes supervisors to improve the personal and collective wellbeing of the current teams through techniques such as mindfulness and relaxation, gratefulness, purpose, creativity; as well as reinforce adequate team dynamics and communication that will allow for each CHW to feel as supported by CES as they care for their patients. Because supportive supervision plays a critical role in ensuring CHWs feel well-prepared to do their work, it is also important to expand training of CHW supervisors to enhance their current activities by gaining more knowledge on 1) other CHW programs, 2) popular education techniques and 3) practical use of Microsoft Office package; as well as developing more leadership skills such as team building and group dynamics, assertive communication, opportune feedback, etc.

Definition of Success

Development and creation of training materials and a work plan on the proposed subjects that can be delivered to the 9 groups of Acompañantes and 3 Acompañantes supervisors during the period of July 2023 – June 2024.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

Prototyping Writing Workshops For Students & Teacher | Education Bridge (Fall 2022)

Project Background

Education Bridge seeks to create flourishing South Sudanese communities through education and peacebuilding.  As part of this mission, Education Bridge opened its first school, Greenbelt Academy Bor, in South Sudan in February 2017. Led by South Sudanese Notre Dame graduate Majak Anyieth ’17, Greenbelt Academy Bor currently serves 500 students in grades 9-12, and in a very short time, has become one of the strongest academic schools in South Sudan. Early last year, Education Bridge opened its second school, Greenbelt Academy Juba, in the capital of South Sudan. Greenbelt Academies seek to provide quality secondary education as well as to develop a generation of South Sudanese who are not only well prepared academically, but who also see themselves as peacemakers and transformational leaders.

Definition of Opportunity

Building more effective communication skills (both written and oral) for high schools are critical. There is an opportunity to build a new communications/writing program – by working closely with the writing program at Notre Dame. This might mean to work alongside EB students in drafting and writing essays for college admissions, pre college admissions, and admissions to other programs such as the African Leadership Academy. You might also explore ways to engage faculty, administrators, and students currently at the school to help each other support and build a writing program. 

Definition of Success

Education Bridge aims to provide growth pathways for students where Education Bridge builds networks of the most talented students and educators in South Sudan, and finds new ways to support their growth over time (for example, building communication skills capacity).

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

McDonald Center for Student Well-Being (Fall 2022)

Project Background

The McDonald Center for Student Well-Being strategically assesses the environment and creates structures for wellness enhancement and risk reduction. Using evidence-based practices and collaborating with a range of campus partners, “McWell” works collectively to provide initiatives, services, and resources that support the eight dimensions of well-being.

Also includes:

University Health Services (UHS)

University Counseling Center (UCC)

Student Support and Care

Definition of Opportunity

Given the stresses that exist on college students & the impacts of the pandemic, it is evident that students could benefit from wellness resources more than ever. The University offers a variety of resources of great value to students, but they are spread across different schools, offices, and initiatives.  This project focuses on a potential partnership with the new Keough School of Global Affairs and imagining a school with a focus on student wellbeing and flourishing.

Definition of Success

A successful project would not only show what opportunities and resources for wellness exist at Notre Dame but would present them to students in a user-friendly way that is both attractive and efficacious at spreading the resources. Further, such mapping may show how different efforts might more effectively work together, or show where gaps may exist in wellness resources. 

One possibility would be to create a student-facing website that is interactive and user-friendly.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

The Vines (Fall 2022)

Project Background

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for positive change in Tunuyan, a city in the West of the province of Mendoza, Argentina, exploring ways to empower our community to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardship, as well as promote sustainable livelihoods. As the philanthropic arm of The Vines, an Argentine farming, winemaking and hospitality company (vinesofmendoza.com, vinesresortandspa.com) with deep connections to international resources through our clients in the US, Europe, and Brazil, the Foundation is leveraging these resources to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the local community. Most importantly, we are building capacity within our community and the organizations we work with, and seeking to engage community members and organizations, local and national businesses, and the municipal government to address complex challenges. 

Definition of Opportunity

In the fall of 2021, and in the spring of 2022, the Vines Foundation partnered with the University of Notre Dame Development Advisory Teams (DAT) to create a strategic and inspirational mission and vision statement for the Foundation, which will serve as guiding principles for the foundation as it expands its community work. We seek to communicate through our work the importance of accompaniment and co-creation, in which we see our community members as partners who are the first and best teachers capable of enacting change and creating opportunities for their families and neighborhoods. Working together with the community and the DAT, we developed strategies to bring together an effective working/community group of local leaders to guide the development process.

Currently, the community engagement efforts of the Foundation are structured around:

Engaging in co-creative efforts to realize sustainable projects in the community.

Maintaining and developing relationships with community members to strengthen a chain of transparent communication and feedback throughout project development and implementation.

Creating a network of local and regional organizations and businesses to partner with the comedores to allow for simultaneous investment in capacity-building and increased community independence. Develop best practices for increasing presence of Social Corporate Responsibility (RSE) in alliance’s work.

Currently, the project-based efforts of the Foundation are structured around:

Providing food weekly to the comedores (soup kitchens) of Tunuyan, which serve as community spaces where children can receive meals during the week and interact with each other.

Increasing comedor capacity through workshops and educational and recreational opportunities to be held on-site.

Developing a community garden at 3 different comedores, which will serve as a pilot project for the community to grow in independence and learn new skills.

Maintaining a dog refuge/shelter on property grounds to care for, vaccinate, and facilitate adoption for stray dogs. We are also seeking to evaluate resource dedication towards facilitating spaying/neutering for street dogs in the community

Definition of Success

Through working with a fall 2022 DAT, we hope to generate interest, excitement and actions in support of The Vines Foundation.  We plan to firmly establish the base for expansion and replication of our successful projects and develop strategies to increase the monetary and non-monetary resources and capacities of the foundation.  

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

The Vines Fall 2022 Final Deliverable by Joseph Drey on Scribd

The Vines (Spring 2022)

Project Background

The Vines Foundation is a catalyst for positive change in Tunuyan, Mendoza, exploring ways to empower our community to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardship, as well as promote sustainable livelihoods. As the philanthropic arm of The Vines, an Argentine farming, winemaking and hospitality company (vinesofmendoza.com, vinesresortandspa.com) with deep connections to international resources through our clients in the US, Europe and Brazil, The Vines Foundation is leveraging these resources to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the local community. Most important, we are building capacity within our community and the organizations we work with, and seeking to engage community members and organizations,  local and national businesses, along with the government to solve complex challenges.

Definition of Opportunity

In the fall 2021, for the first time, the Vines Foundation partnered with a DAT to begin to create a strategic and inspirational mission and vision statement for the Foundation, which will serve as the foundation expands its community work for at least the next decade.  We hope that two of the students that worked on the project, Lucie Kneip (lkneip@nd.edu) and Carson Krol (ckrol@nd.edu), will continue to be engaged with the DAT this spring and as interns this summer at The Vines in Mendoza.

As a next step, we want to expand on the work completed to identify solid guiding principles, and meaningfully engage prospective donors and partners to unite a force for good. In the end, we want to become a model for sustainable development upon which others can base their initiatives to effectively serve the needs of the broader region and country of Argentina.

 During 2022, we aim to move from the mission and vision development phase to the execution phase by:

·  Creating a structure and strategies to bring together an effective working/community group of local leaders guiding the development process and creating goals; and an advisory board of donors and global stakeholders.

·  Developing a strategy to continue to support the 10 community kitchens we have been helping and a plan to transition that support into a more sustainable operation, likely by bringing in partners from the community and region.

·  Outlining a plan to evaluate the feasibility of, and if it is feasible, implement the “Rosario project” of community development in Tunuyan.

· Creating a best practices document for the dog rescue shelter at The Vines, and the evaluation of a mobile spay/neuter clinic.

Definition of Success

Through the work with a spring 2022 DAT, we hope to generate interest, excitement and actions in support of The Vines Foundation. This might include providing hands-on volunteer experiences for individuals to become connected to the mission of The Vines Foundation.  We plan to move from the theoretical to the execution stage, developing the initial parts of a strategic plan.  We will build on initial dialogues with members of the local community that DAT members carried out to explore further opportunities for becoming an incubator of new thoughts, strategies and methods to identify and solve the ever-changing needs of the local community.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

McDonald Center for Student Well-Being (Spring 2022)

Project Background

The McDonald Center for Student Well-Being strategically assesses the environment and creates structures for wellness enhancement and risk reduction. Using evidence-based practices and collaborating with a range of campus partners, “McWell” works collectively to provide initiatives, services, and resources that support the eight dimensions of well-being.

Also includes:

University Health Services (UHS)

University Counseling Center (UCC)

Student Support and Care

Definition of Opportunity

Given the stresses on students and the impacts of the pandemic, it is evident that students could benefit from wellness resources more than ever. The University offers a variety of resources of great value to students, but they are spread across different schools, offices, and initiatives.  This project focuses on mapping resources (programs, initiatives, classes, support groups, etc) on campus that help promote wellness and student flourishing. Such mapping exercises are often helpful to both realize there are more resources than meets the eye and allow people more access to them, as well as encourage different actors working towards the same goals to talk with one another.  

1. What are the student health and well-being resources on campus?

2. Where are the resources located?

3. How do students know about the resource?

4. How do they connect and access the resource?

5. What is student utilization of the resource?

6. What is student perception of the utilization of the resource?

7. How does the department measure effectiveness of the resource?

8. Who/which departments are the established partners for this resource?

Definition of Success

A successful project would not only show what opportunities and resources for wellness exist at Notre Dame but would present them to students in a user-friendly way that is both attractive and easy to access. Further, such mapping may show how different efforts might more effectively work together, or show where gaps may exist in wellness resources. 

One possibility would be to create a student-facing website that is interactive and user-friendly.

Meet the Team

Final Project